Baby Wellness

Amanda is a week old when our apartment door rings to let in the neighborhood community doctor. I let her in, holding Kobe back from jumping on her. She wears a mask and talks with Sabrina. She examines Amanda. Gives some advice which I've forgotten and after about 20 minutes is gone. When Amanda is a month old, she's back this time wearing tennis shoes. A bit sporty. More examinations, more talk, and then she's gone. That was the extent of the official neighborhood wellness checks as we opted to use the services of the same hospital Sabrina gave birth at.

The hospital practices "western" style medicine but doesn't seem different than the local hospitals I've been in except the environment is nicer. Amanda is 3.5 half months now, and I want to say we've had five wellness checks centered around vaccines. Vaccines are a big deal. I'm pro-vaccines – seems odd to even have to state that – but man, there are a lot of them and they are all recorded in an offical booklet given by the government when Amanda was born. Maybe I'm just noticing because Yang took care of it for Aidan, Lydia, and Elisa and with Amanda, Sabrina and I both go.

Before the vaccine is administered, we first meet with a doctor and they answer any questions, chart height/weight, do an exam of Amanda, and make recommendations. I don't understand anything and shift between being annoyed and bored. The doctors also change with each visit and give differant advice. A month ago, the doctor said Sabrina should cut out dairy including eggs from her diet since Amanda was pooping too much. Babies poop, I thought, and three times a day seems fine. Two weeks later, the doctor is showing us how to hold Amanda and recommends a sonogram to ensure there are no problems with Amanda's hip bone (there's none). I want to ask how many times she recommends this exam compared with other doctors but I don't. I struggle between being supportive and being annoyed.

The vaccine room is in the back of the clinic. Amanda doesn't know what's going on but she knows to scream when the needle pieces then skin. On our way out, I see a four-year-old heading in, mom holding. The four-year-old is terrified. Can't say I blame her.